


Winter Royalty

by Arya_Ender



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Because Bert is one!, Bertolt is spelt Bertholdt, Fluff, Love, M/M, Reibert - Freeform, Reiner calls Bert a prince, Romance, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arya_Ender/pseuds/Arya_Ender
Summary: Reiner and Bertholdt go to a winter ice sculpture showcase which happens to have a castle made of ice.Some ReiBert fluff the author made for Valentine's Day!
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	Winter Royalty

**Author's Note:**

> Did my JeanMarco fic bring you here? Yes? No?
> 
> If it didn't, you can read it [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452713)
> 
> Enjoy the story! I'm sorry if this looks rushed or isn't as romantic as the other one. I just finished it today ;w;

_ “All ready to go?” _ _  
_ _ “Yeah.” _

Reiner put on his winter coat, zipping it up before snapping the buttons in place. He and Bertholdt bought tickets to go see an ice sculpture showcase. Annie had mentioned it to Bert sometime in January, suggesting that he and Reiner go there for a date. She had gone with Armin the year prior, coming across many fantastic works of art. The one thing that would always be made every year was an Ice Castle. Everyone wanted to go inside and see it themselves.

Luckily for him and Bertholdt, they purchased the tickets early before they sold out.

“Alright, let’s go before it gets too cold. It’s already freezing outside.” Reiner chuckled, sliding into the driver’s seat of his car. He made sure to turn the heater up so the ride wouldn’t be so chilly. 

“Yeah. I checked the weather just before we left. It’s -25.” Bertholdt spoke, cold puffs of air coming from his mouth as he looked down at Reiner. 

“But that’s okay. I don’t really mind.” He spoke, smiling gently at him.

Reiner smiled too, pecking Bertholdt’s cold cheek before pressing on the gas pedal. The sky was still an orange colour. The sun was about to disappear and let the moon take over for the evening. They left at 5:30 PM, hoping to get to the sight somewhat early. Annie mentioned that the lineup would be long, as she and Armin had to wait 30 minutes in the freezing cold before getting their turn at the tour of the castle. People liked to arrive at nighttime. That would be when it was dark and coloured lights illuminated the clear icy structures.

“T-Thanks for doing this with me, Reiner.” Bertholdt spoke, his cheeks beginning to warm up despite the icy winter atmosphere. He cupped his hands, placing them in his lap as he looked out the car window.

“You’re welcome Bertl. I’m glad you brought this up. I was honestly really stuck on what to do as a Valentine’s Day date.” Reiner chuckled, adjusting the rear-view mirror. The car would come to a stop as the stoplight turned from yellow to red. The two sat in the car in silence, Bertholdt on his phone and Reiner listening to the music on the radio.

“Any ideas on what to do after? Where do you wanna get dinner?” Bertholdt asked, scrolling through his feed. “H-Honestly if we could go home and just have cup noodles for dinner that’d be enough for me.” 

“Yeah. Then we can watch a movie afterwards and warm up by the fireplace.”   
“I like the sound of that.”

Bertholdt leaned in to place a quick kiss on Reiner’s head before the light turned green again. A few minutes later, they would be in the downtown area of the city. Just a little beyond that was where the showcase was. Bertholdt’s eye caught the observation tower not too far away in the distance. The sight brought a smile to his face. 

“Remember the date where I took you to the observation tower?” Reiner spoke, making a left turn. Bertholdt laughed gently, leaning back in his chair. 

“I was just about to say that.” He said, chuckling. “I do, and it was one of the best dates we went on.”

“That restaurant there was hella expensive. Though, the food made it worth it.” The tower had a really fancy restaurant at the top. It also had a breathtaking view. Bertholdt loved it, and so did Reiner. 

“Y’know, I was actually gonna take us there a second time, but Gabi and Falco ended up asking me to buy them fast food for dinner, so I had to save up again.” Reiner spoke, sighing gently. “I’ll still do it sometime again.”

“Haha. Those two kids are adorable.” Bertholdt chuckled.

“A little  _ too _ adorable.” Reiner spoke, chuckling as well.

Reiner looked out into the distance, coloured lights catching his eye. He turned right, driving into the parking lot of the site. “We’re here! Damn this place looks amazing.”

Reiner put on his gloves and stepped out of the car. Once Bertholdt had gotten out, he held his boyfriend’s hand tightly. Bertholdt looked down at him, smiling gently before temporarily letting go to find the tickets in his bag. The taller male dug around in his bag for a few seconds before becoming visibly panicked to Reiner.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asked in a soft voice.

“I-I can’t find them.” Bertholdt responded.

Bertholdt bit his lip. He was sure he had placed them in his bag inside one of the inner pockets. Did he misplace them? Or did he actually forget them on the counter? Or in his bedroom?

Bertholdt felt his head spin in circles. 

“It’s okay Bert, don’t worry. I’ll check the car.” Reiner spoke reassuringly, hoping he'd calm down once he got back. Bertholdt nodded, his expression still worried. He took in a deep breath, crouching down on the ground. He decided that he should take out all the stuff in his bag one by one. Maybe then he’d find the tickets.

First he pulled out his phone, then two bottles of water. He found his wallet, opening it up to see if he had stored the tickets in there. A few dollars bills were inside along with Bertholdt’s credit cards, a picture of him and Reiner he kept in there, and his ID. 

No sign of the tickets.

The young male sighed heavily, feeling his anxiousness build up again. This was supposed to be their date, and if he and reiner couldn’t find the tickets, they’d have to postpone it. The lump in Bertholdt’s throat would slowly disappear as he turned around. Reiner had called him, holding up a pair of tickets in his hand. Bertholdt sighed in relief, hugging Reiner tightly.

“They were in the cup holders for some reason.” Reiner spoke, rubbing the back of Bertholdt’s back gently.

“I-I guess I must have misplaced them by accident...” Bertholdt spoke, putting a hand on his head in embarrassment. Reiner stepped back, placing his hand on Bertholdt’s. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry.” He said, smiling softly.

Bertholdt felt all his worry wash away. The kind and comforting tone in Reiner’s voice always made him calmer when he felt like the earth he stood on was crumbling away. He found his fingers interlocking with Reiner’s as the two held hands again. 

“Alright, let’s head in, shall we?” Reiner spoke in a low voice.

“Of course.” Bertholdt spoke, placing a kiss on Reiner’s lips.

Reiner led Bertholdt to the entrance, handing the employee at the front their entrance tickets. Once they got inside, they were greeted by a large sculpture of two deers standing on opposite sides of the pathway. The blonde-haired male walked over to one, touching the side of the animal. 

“Holy crap… I wonder how people manage to make this stuff.” He chuckled.

“I know… Oh!”

Bertholdt’s eye had caught sight of an igloo. Instead of it being made out of snow, it was made of ice. The blocks weren’t exactly transparent, but opaque. Just enough to let the faint blue colour inside shine through the structure. A line was placed near the igloo’s entrance. People were taking turns to be let inside. The black-haired male tugged on Reiner’s sleeve.

“Do you wanna go inside?”   
“Hell yeah!”

They waited in the line patiently. Though, it didn’t need to be long since as soon as people went in, they went out. The igloo was fairly small, so all they probably wanted was a quick look and maybe a picture or two. 

Reiner stepped inside, hoping his large and bulky body wouldn’t get stuck at the entrance. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Bertholdt quickly joined him once he got in and they both sat in the middle of the icy building.

“I love it.” Bertholdt said, resting his head on Reiner’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Come on Bert. We gotta get to the castle soon!”

The two lovers chuckled, exiting the igloo. They walked around together, hand in hand, looking for the castle. Along the way, Reiner had noticed sculptures of other various animals. On his right were sculptures of a pack of wolves. He walked over to it, petting the fake animal on the head. Bertholdt pulled out his phone, aiming to get a picture.

“Smile!” He said, puffs of cold air coming from his mouth.

The camera’s light flickered, causing Reiner to blink shortly after. The blonde-haired male rubbed his eyes. Shortly after, he saw Bertholdt standing near penguins made of ice. He felt his cheeks flush at the sight of seeing Bertholdt in awe over the antarctic bird. Taking out his phone, he snapped a quick video, hoping the microphone would catch the words coming out of Bertholdt’s mouth despite the crowd in the background.

“Ah, I wish I could take this home with me! You’re so a-dor-a-ble! Reiner! We should—! H-Hey are you recording me?!”

Reiner snickered, saving the video as Bertholdt ran up to him, trying to get a hold of his boyfriend’s phone. He knew Reiner liked to record him randomly at times. Though he truly didn’t mind it, the thought just made him embarrassed —camera shy even.

“Reiner give me that!” Bert exclaimed.

“That’s another one for the archives baby!” 

Bertholdt sighed, pushing Reiner’s face together. He put on a pouty face while Reiner gave a seductive smirk in return. The two stared at each other before bursting out with laughter. None were exactly sure why. Perhaps they were already having too much fun. But it didn’t matter to either. They were both glad to be away from the stress of work even just for one night.

“Anyway…” Reiner spoke, taking in a puff of air after laughing too much. “When are we going to see the castle? I really wanna see it.”

Bertholdt looked at Reiner for a short second before nodding his head. 

“Ah, sure!”

Reiner took him by the hand, leading him to where the humongous castle was located. He noticed many lights coming from the North side of the area, figuring that the biggest attraction would be there. His prediction would turn out to be true. Blue, green, purple, and magenta lights made the grand icy structure pop with life. Icicles decorated the entrance creating a frosty look. What surprised the couple the most was that there was a  _ second floor  _ and even tables and chairs.

All made of crystal clear ice.

“Holy shit this looks amazing.” Reiner spoke, his eyes wide. If it weren’t for the long line right in front of them, he would have ran straight in there like a little kid excited to go on an amusement park ride. Bertholdt chuckled, pulling himself and his boyfriend into the line.

“It does, but we’re going to have to wait a while before we get inside.” He said.

The wait was almost 20 minutes before Bertholdt and Reiner got their turn to go inside. The harsh cold air made the pair shiver which only made them cling to each other more for warmth. Nearby was a hot chocolate stand which Bertholdt bought hot chocolate while Reiner waited in the line so their spot in the line wouldn’t be thrown away. The line for hot chocolate, however, was long as well. Luckily enough, Bertholdt made it back in time with their hot drinks to enter the ice castle.

“It’s so pretty…” Bertholdt spoke, amazed as he stepped inside. “No wonder why Annie and Armin went here every year.”

“Makes sense. This place is spectacular.”

Reiner paid close attention to the architecture, as well as the design of the place. If he looked close enough, he could actually see print work done on some of the pillars and walls. He turned his head back to Bertholdt who was running around taking dozens of photos. The blonde-haired male smiled happily, admiring his boyfriend. His eyes turned to a staircase made of ice that would lead them to a second floor— a balcony. Right. That was the place he wanted to take Bertholdt. Standing on top of a balcony with a view of the city lights not too far away with your loved one, how romantic was that?   
  


“Hey Bertl, let’s go up to the balcony.” Reiner spoke, making a gesture. Bertholdt nodded heading up as Reiner followed behind him. The blonde-haired male looked down, hoping that no one else would come up just for a bit. He wanted to have a moment with his boyfriend.

Bertholdt gasped as his eyes met the view of the city which was surprisingly beautiful. He put his hand over his mouth in awe, admiring the lights that lit up the dark February night sky. 

“This is… Beautiful.” Bertholdt spoke, astonished. 

  
Reiner’s fingertips made their way to Bertholdt’s chin, running across his jawline before finding Bertholdt’s cheek. He turned his head gently, making him face his direction. 

“Not as beautiful as you are.” He spoke softly.

He gently grabbed Bertholdt’s hands, looking into the taller male’s shimmering green eyes. They both blushed, wondering what to say. 

“Hey—”

“I—”

“A-Ah sorry!” Bertholdt spoke, his face growing warmer as he looked down at the ground with nervousness. “Y-You can go ahead.”   
  


“No, it’s okay.” Reiner spoke reassuringly. “Please, go first.”   
  


Bertholdt took in a quick breath of air before looking back at Reiner.

“I-I just wanted to say… T-Thank you. I didn’t actually think we could happen. Something inside just thought we’d never happen, but look where we are now. A-And well, know that even though we may not see each other as often as we used to, I’ll always wait for you on the other side.”

Bertholdt awkwardly looked away. He wasn’t really one to make the first moves. He usually let Reiner take the lead of the dance. This time, he thought he’d give being the lead dancer a try. The taller male looked back at his boyfriend with a soft expression, ultimately leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

Just like that, Reiner felt all his worries wash away, felt his shivering body halt from the sudden warm kiss. He closed his eyes, savouring the moment as best as he could. He knew that tomorrow he’d end up returning back to work, becoming so busy that he wouldn’t have time to see his Bertholdt again. 

It took a while, but he eventually managed to tell himself it would be okay.

They broke apart, panting gently. Cold puffs of air danced around them as their eyes met each other again. Reiner smiled, kissing Bertholdt on the cheek once more. 

“I love you.” Reiner said, smiling like a dork.

“I love you too.” Bertholdt chuckled, smiling as well, pulling Reiner into another kiss.

“Ah, you’re too sweet. You’re so goddamn adorable Bertholdt.” Reiner spoke, reaching the top of Bertholdt’s head and giving it a gentle rub.

“Would you like to go back downstairs, my Prince?” He suddenly asked. The sudden use of language made Bertholdt’s face flush. 

“P-Prince?!”   
“You’re one in my eyes.”

Bertholdt hid his face in his gloves as Reiner laughed, retrieving their hot chocolate which they placed on the table nearby. He handed Bertholdt his cup before taking him by the hand to lead him downstairs.

“After you, your highness. Watch your step.”

“C-Cut that out!”   
  


Reiner leaned in to place another kiss on Bertholdt’s cheek. The two safely made their way down the stairs, both of them holding hands together. They exited the castle with love circling around them like a bird, like they were both struck with a cupid’s arrows.

“I had fun. Thanks again for doing this with me, Reiner.” Bertholdt spoke as he got into the car. 

“I did as well, haha.”

The warm air of the car’s heater cancelled out the cold winter air, allowing the two a warm ride home. As Reiner drove, he looked to his left to see a pond with lots of people ice skating on it. If he could remember correctly, he had two friends that planned to go ice skating tonight. His stomach suddenly growled in hunger. Dinner would be much appreciated right now.

“You wanted instant noodles for dinner, right?” Reiner asked.

“Mhm.”

The couple reached Reiner’s home. The blonde-haired male got out of the car first, then opened up the passenger seat door for his boyfriend. He then extended his hand, hoping Bertholdt would take it.

And he gladly did. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hoped you enjoy it!
> 
> Again, here's the [JeanMarco date](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452713) that's implied in the story.
> 
> I thought it'd be a cute little easter egg to add :D
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day! <3333


End file.
